The Pipo Academy of Hair Design, which trained thousands of hairstylists in its 37-year history in the Five Points neighborhood, was destroyed by fire Friday morning.

Six people living in apartments in the building were evacuated, two had to be rescued with ladders, and one was taken to a hospital with respiratory problems, officials said.

The roof and second floor of the building at Raynor Street and Pershing Drive collapsed. The building had to be demolished for the public's safety, officials said.

The fire was reported by a police officer at 3:32 a.m. About 50 firefighters battled the blaze for nearly eight hours

El Paso Fire Department spoke s man George De La Torre said firefighters think the blaze started on the second floor, which had 10 apartment units. The Hideaway Bar and Grill was also housed on the bottom floor.

"I spent all my life there, trying to get those kids to learn," Barragan told KFOX. "That's what worries me the most, the kids that are not going to be able to go to school for maybe two, three days, four, five days. I don't know."

All residents of the building were evacuated, including a man in his 50s and a woman in her 40s who were rescued from two apartment units with a ladder because they could not escape, De La Torre said.

Another man, in his 40s, was taken to University Medical Center and later to the Timothy J. Harnar Regional Burn Center in Lubbock with respiratory difficulties and possible smoke inhalation, De La Torre said.

Officials said the man was in stable condition.

The other occupants of building were treated at the scene, including Kevin Burch, who didn't realize the building was on fire at first.

"I heard people screaming and hollering, and so I looked outside my window and the police were telling me there was smoke coming out of the building," Burch said. "I opened my door and it was hot. I didn't see any fire but I saw smoke."

Burch said he thought about grabbing his cellphone, but decided to leave it behind because the temperature in the hallway was rising rapidly.

"I ran downstairs and then I couldn't see anything through the smoke," Burch said. "I just got down and eventually I saw a flashlight from a fireman or police officer, and they helped me out."

The Red Cross of El Paso was at the scene helping the displaced families.

A building inspector told the Fire Department the building had to be destroyed before a fire inspector could determine the cause, De La Torre said.

Demolition crews began tearing down the rest of the building Friday afternoon. Fire inspectors will sort through the remains of the building to try to determine the cause.

The estimated cost of damage is $200,000, De La Torre said.

Burch estimated he lost $6,000 of property in his apartment.

"I lost everything," Burch said. "It was a big loss, but I can get it all back."

The Pipo Academy of Hair Design was opened in 1976, and was continuing to train hairstylists. According to El Paso Times archives, the Barragan family once owned dozens of hair salons and barbershops around El Paso.

Barragan told KFOX he doesn't know what the future holds for his academy.

"I'm hoping that they'll give me a chance to let me have the students come over here to the barber college and train them here until I either tear all that down or build back up there at the same place," Barragan said. "It's hard for me to be thinking anything that I can do."

Monica Lorey, owner of the Westend Hair Co. and Day Spa, 2626 N. Stanton St., said she graduated from the Pipo academy in 1979.

"I remember on my first day he had all of us set a goal for where we wanted to be in 10 years," Lorey said. "Sure enough, almost 10 years later I opened up Westend."

Lorey was shocked to hear that the fire had claimed the academy.

"I made a lot of good friends there and have fond memories," Lorey said.

"I'm very sad to hear that it burned down."

Lorey said she remembered that Barragan used to live upstairs and that she used to go to the Hideaway Bar and Grill next door with her classmates.

The academy "was a part of the neighborhood," Lorey said. "It was just like a big family there."

Aaron Bracamontes may be reached at abracamontes@elpasotimes.com; 546-6156. Follow him on Twitter @AaronBrac.